Qualifying Military Health Care Officers as "Joint": Weighing the Pros and Cons
Abstract
The unprecedented challenges facing the U.S. military at home and abroad have highlighted the need for officers to be educated and trained in joint matters so that they are prepared to take on the new roles and responsibilities that the current environment demands. In his 2005 Vision for Joint Officer Development, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) Peter Pace emphasized the need for all colonels and Navy captains to be educated and experienced in joint matters (U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2005). There is increasing recognition that the roles that the Military Health System (MHS) is being asked to play--especially with respect to national emergencies (such as pandemic influenza) and reconstruction operations--require working strategically with other nations, other militaries, and other agencies. The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) highlighted the importance of preparing health care leaders to succeed in joint, performance-based environments. Joint is inclusive of multiservice, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational environments. As part of a larger project examining the way in which leaders in the medical field are prepared and supported in the civilian and military sectors, the RAND National Defense Research Institute (NDRI) was asked to assess the need for and feasibility of qualifying health care officers as "joint" officers. This monograph documents the results of that analysis.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA496564
Entities
People
- Harry J. Thie
- Sheila N. Kirby
Organizations
- RAND Corporation